Image coding method and image decoding method

Abstract

An image decoding method includes: arithmetic decoding steps for performing arithmetic decoding processes on decoding target signals according to contexts determined based on the types of the decoding target signals and the symbol occurrence probabilities determined based on the contexts; and a context update step for executing a group of context update processes on the decoding target signals in each of processing units each obtained as a segment having a certain size, according to the decoded signals resulting from the arithmetic decoding processes.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An image decoding method for decoding coded image data, the image decoding method comprising:
 deriving a context for each of a plurality of target signals in a processing unit based on a type of the target signal; 
 performing arithmetic decoding on the target signal according to the context and a symbol occurrence probability determined based on the context; 
 determining whether or not the arithmetic decoding for each of the target signals is performed; and 
 executing a context update process on each context for the processing unit when the arithmetic decoding for the each of target signals is performed, 
 wherein the processing unit is one of a transform unit, a coding unit and a group of coding units, the transform unit being a unit where transformation of the image data is performed and the coding unit being a unit where coding of the image data is performed. 
 
     
     
       2. The image decoding method according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein, in the executing, the context update processes on the target signals in the processing unit are executed in an order inverse to a decoding order of the signals. 
 
     
     
       3. The image decoding method according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein, in the executing, the context update processes are executed such that part of target signals including decoding symbols in the processing unit are executed last in the processing unit and in an order inverse to a decoding order of the part of signals. 
 
     
     
       4. The image decoding method according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein, in the executing, the each context is not updated when at least one of the target signals is not decoded. 
 
     
     
       5. An image coding method for compression-coding image data, the image coding method comprising:
 deriving a context for each of a plurality of target signals in a processing unit based on a type of the target signal; 
 performing arithmetic coding on the target signal according to the context and a symbol occurrence probability determined based on the context; 
 determining whether or not the arithmetic coding for each of the target signals is performed; and 
 executing a context update process on each context for the processing unit when the arithmetic coding for the each of target signals is performed, 
 wherein the processing unit is one of a transform unit, a coding unit and a group of coding units, the transform unit being a unit where transformation of the image data is performed and the coding unit being a unit where coding of the image data is performed. 
 
     
     
       6. The image coding method according to  claim 5 ,
 wherein, in the executing, the context update processes on the signals in the processing unit are executed in an order inverse to a coding order of the signals. 
 
     
     
       7. The image coding method according to  claim 5 ,
 wherein, in the executing, the context update processes are executed such that part of signals including coding symbols in the processing unit are executed last and in an order inverse to a coding order of the part of signals.